Introduction

James 2:13 ESV  For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

• In this mornings verse we have two very definitive, yet linked, statements.
  • The first is that there will be judgment without mercy to those who do not show mercy.
    • In very basic terms, that is, if you don’t show mercy, you are getting judgment.
  • The second statement is simply “Mercy triumphs over judgment”.
    • Now these two statements are distinct, they are definitive… but they are not two separate thoughts. They are two statements, joined together, to make one theological truth.
      • And it is dangerous to separate these statements.
• I considered preaching two sermons on James 2:13… one on the first half, and one on the second half.
• But I just feel like the Holy Spirit wants me to focus on the second half of this verse.
  • That being said, I don’t want to skip over the first half of this verse… I just don’t want to beat y’all up anymore than I already have over the past month or so. I want to focus on the triumph of mercy.
    • But because I don’t want to skip over the first half, let me just take a moment to explain what James is saying in the first half of verse 13 here:

James 2:13 ESVa  For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy.

• What James is saying is this: If you don’t show mercy, no mercy will be shown to you.
  • If you are not a merciful person, you will not receive mercy.
    • If that is not plane enough for you, let me break it down even further with the three spiritual laws pertaining to mercy:

1.    The law of mercy (Matthew 5:7)

2.    Law of forgiveness (Matthew 6:14-15)

3.    Law of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7-8)

• The Law of Mercy comes from Matthew 5:7

Matthew 5:7 ESV  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

• According to Jesus, who is it that receives mercy? It is the merciful. This is the law of mercy, that the merciful receive mercy.The Law of Forgiveness comes from Matthew 6:14-15

Matthew 6:14-15 ESV  For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,  (15)  but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

• Here it talks about trespasses. This means sins, or offenses… or things done against you.If you forgive other people when they offend you, when the hurt you, when they sin against you… then you will be forgiven.But, according to Jesus, if you do not forgive then you will not be forgiven by God.There is a whole parable about this called the parable of the unforgiving debtor. The Bible is very clear on this.Christians are a forgiven people and we are a forgiving people. Full stop.So that is the law of forgiveness.The Law of sowing and reaping comes from Galatians 6:7-8

Galatians 6:7-8 ESV  Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.  (8)  For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

• If you plant apples, you get apples, if you plant corn, you get corn, if you plant mercy you get mercy, if you plant forgiveness you get forgiveness…
  • But if you plant weeds, you get weeds. If you plant thorn bushes you get thorn bushes. If you plant bitterness, spite, unforgiveness, and judgement… then you get bitterness, spite, unforgiveness, and judgement.
    • What you plant is what you get, what you reap is what you sow.
  • So those are the three laws spiritual laws that pertain to mercy.

1.    The law of mercy (Matthew 5:7)

2.    Law of forgiveness (Matthew 6:14-15)

3.    Law of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7-8)

• If we understand these three laws then we understand what the first part of our key verse today means.
• So that is what the first part of our key verse today means.

James 2:13 ESVa  For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy.

• But I want to spend the rest of the sermon talking about the second half of this verse.
  • We may touch on this first half here and there… but I really want to focus on this incredibly powerful statement that James makes:

James 2:13 ESV  For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

James 2:13b ESV  Mercy triumphs over judgment.

• Mercy triumphs over Judgment. Let’s talk about that… but first lets pray.

• Point one this morning: God’s Mercy Triumphs Over God’s Judgment.

Point One – God’s Mercy Triumphs Over God’s Judgment

James 2:13b ESV  Mercy triumphs over judgment.

• God’s mercy triumphs over God’s judgment.
  • I think it is disingenuous to suggest that this verse is about anything other than God’s judgment.
    • In fact, when you read it in context it is CLEARLY about God’s judgment and mercy… that’s what this hole section of scripture has been about… we have been preaching on it for about a month now…

James 2:11-13 ESV  For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.  (12)  So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.  (13)  For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

• Speak and act as one judged under the law of liberty… do not murder do not commit adultery… love your neighbor as yourself… who’s law is this? This is God’s law.
  • Who is the judge of God’s law? GOD is!
    • Speak and act as ones being judged… who is doing the judging? God is!
      • The subject of these verses is God’s judgment so it only makes sense that James is talking about God’s mercy.
• God’s Mercy Triumphs Over God’s Judgment. That is our first point this morning.
  • God’s Mercy Triumphs Over God’s Judgment.
    • I want you to remember that as you leave today.
  • God’s Mercy Triumphs Over God’s Judgment.
    • But I don’t want you to just remember it… I want you to understand it.
• So we need to understand three things:
  • First: What is God’s Judgment?
  • Second: What is God’s Mercy?
  • Third: Why Does God’s Mercy Triumph Over God’s Judgment?
• If I can answer these questions then I have done well.
  • So let’s knock out the first question… what is God’s Judgment… what does that mean?
    • Well, it is very simple, we know what a judge is, right?
    • A person in a big robe with a gavel deciding who is innocent and who is guilty.
  • Now God is not an old man sitting with a black robe, white wig, and a big wooden gavel…
    • But He does sit on a judgment seat deciding who is innocent and who is guilty of breaking His laws.

Psalm 7:11 (ESV) God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.

Psalm 50:6 (ESV) The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! Selah.

Psalm 96:13 (ESV) before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 (ESV) For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Romans 14:10 (ESV) Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

Hebrews 12:23 (ESV) and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect.

James 4:12 (ESV) There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

• These verses an many more make it clear that God is a just and righteous judge.
  • He does not show partiality. He doesn’t care about your race, your age, your nationality, your social status, or how much money you have.
    • He simply cares if you are innocent or guilty of breaking His law.
    • And this is problematic… because the Bible says that we are ALL guilty of breaking God’s law.

Romans 3:23 ESV  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

1 John 3:4 ESV  Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

• In other words we have all broken God’s law… so we all deserve to be found guilty… unless something miraculous happens… which brings us to question two…
• What is God’s mercy?
  • GotQuestions.org does a wonderful job of answering this question. They define God’s mercy like so:

“God being merciful basically means that, when we deserve punishment, He doesn’t punish us, and in fact blesses us instead. Mercy is the withholding of a just condemnation. Throughout the Bible, God gives many illustrations of His mercy. God fully demonstrates His mercy in Jesus Christ.”
-GotQuestions.org/God-is-merciful.html

• The Bible is FULL of examples of God’s mercy, but of course the biggest act of mercy was when Jesus died on the cross for our sins.
  • We deserved punishment, but Jesus took the punishment in our place…
    • The price that we were meant to pay, because we are guilty of breaking God’s law… the price we were meant to pay, Jesus paid for us.
  • So God’s mercy is when God doesn’t punish us, even though we deserve punishment.
• Now that brings us to the third question: What does it mean that mercy triumphs over judgment?
  • Well this answer is just the combination of the first two answers.
    • We deserve judgment… but God gave us mercy.
    • We don’t get mercy AND judgment.
      • If we get mercy then WE GET MERCY.
      • Mercy wins.
      • Mercy beats out judgment.
        • Mercy does not beat out justice… but it beats out judgment.
      • We serve a God of triumph!
        • Jesus triumphs over sin.
        • Life triumphs over death.
        • Grace triumphs over condemnation.
        • And mercy triumphs over judgment.

John 5:24 ESV  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

• This is the takeaway… if you obey Christ, you have been born again, saved, redeemed, delivered… if you have obtained mercy, then you do not need to fear the judgment… you have passed from death into life.
  • That doesn’t mean we get to do whatever we want and sin it up… no we live in the law of liberty now… but it does mean that, as long as we stay in the mercy of God, we have no reason to fear judgment… we have passed from death – into – life! HALLELUJAH!
  • First: What is God’s Judgment?
  • Second: What is God’s Mercy?
  • Third: Why Does God’s Mercy Triumph Over God’s Judgment?
• So what is God’s judgment? It is God judging if we are innocent or guilty of braking His laws.
• What is God’s mercy? It is the act of Him not giving us punishment even though we deserve it.
• What does it mean that God’s Mercy Triumphs Over God’s Judgment? It means that if we have obtained mercy through the free gift of salvation bought by the blood of Jesus Christ, and we live in that mercy, we do not have to fear the Judgment of God. For we have passed from death into life… the punishment for the crime has already been paid… we are free to live righteously now and forevermore, praise Jesus!
  • Now point one was a bit of a teaching point… it was there to inform you. I hope you know understand this verse.
    • But I don’t want my sermon to just inform you, I want it to TRANSFORM you.
    • So while point one was informative, I hope that point two will be transformative.
• Point one was: God’s mercy triumphs over God’s justice… now point two is like it, but it pertains to our own lives, how we live them… and will challenge us to make changes to transform our lives to be more like Jesus.
  • Point two is this: Your Mercy Should Triumph Over Your Judgment.

Point Two – Your Mercy Should Triumph Over Your Judgment

James 2:13 ESV  For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

• Now there is no doubt, as we said before, that Mercy triumphs over Judgment is referring to God’s mercy and God’s Judgment.
  • But the statement SHOULD also apply to us.
    • It doesn’t always apply to us, as it does to God, because on like God… we get it wrong sometimes.
    • In other words… we sometimes sinfully withhold mercy and pass judgment…
  • And honestly that is what this hole section of Scripture is about.
• The Christian’s James was writing to were not showing mercy to the poor.
  • Instead they were committing the sin of partiality…
    • They judged the poor as being less-than the rich.
    • They treated them as lesser.
    • They treated the rich as greators…
    • They passed false judgment and in so doing, they sinned.
  • It is as James is saying “Think of the mercy you have obtained from God and how that has triumphed over the judgment you deserved.
    • God did not look at some of you and say “Because you are rich, you get mercy”
      • Or “Because you are poor, you get this lesser cross… you get less forgiveness.
        • No, God does not Judge that way.
        • God is merciful to all who will accept His mercy.
        • Mercy Triumphs over Judgment.
• In saying all of this, James is encouraging Christians to stop passing sinful Judgment, and to let our own mercy triumph over our own judgment.
  • I think the best example of this is the parable that Jesus gave of the unforgiving servant… if we can be the OPPOSITE of this guy, then we can be someone who is abounding in mercy.
• Look, I get it… people have hurt you, people have wronged you…
  • But look up at that cross…
  • Imagine Jesus hanging there…
  • Imagine that you drove the nails in his hands… because ultimately it was your sin that put him there. It was my sin that put Him there…
    • And while on the cross Jesus says “Forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing”.

Luke 23:33-34 ESV  And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.  (34)  And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

• Our sin put Jesus, in agonizing pain on the cross, and Jesus says “forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing”…
  • First of all, just think on that for a moment… whatever you have done, whatever sin you have committed… Jesus says “Forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing”.
    • Listen, church… if you are sitting here this morning… Jesus is bigger than your sin… His death is more than enough to pay for your sins… you can have forgiveness if you would accept Him as Savior and be born again…
• So again, picture Christ on the cross… you put them there, yet he forgives you…
  • Now… let me ask you… when someone sins against you, and they are totally in the wrong… and it is evil… and it is wicked… and it is hurtful… and it is unjust…
  • When someone sins against you, let me ask you… is what they did as bad as what you did to Jesus? What your sin did to Jesus?
    • I once preached a sermon on the fact that if we refuse to forgive the Father won’t forgive us.
    • Someone from the church demanded a meeting after that sermon.
      • They said they were leaving…
      • Why? Because they couldn’t believe I would say that they have to forgive their father…
      • Thye then asked “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT MY FATHER DID TO ME?!”
        • And I responded “No, I don’t. But God does. And God knows what you have done to Jesus… and Jesus still died to forgive you.”
  • I once was a witness in a federal court case… because I invited a sex offender to church.
    • Now I didn’t know he wasn’t allowed to be at church.
    • I didn’t know he was a sex offender, all I knew was that he had just gotten out of prison…
      • But his PO has said he couldn’t go to any public gatherings… I did not know that…
    • So federal officers came to my door with their hands on their guns, barged into my home, subpoenaed me for court, and threatened to take away my kids if I ever “did anything like this again”.
      • I went to court, I took the stand… and the prosecutor asked “If you had known the defendant was a sex offender would you still have invited him to church?”
        • I said “Yes sir”.
        • “But what if you had known that he was arrested for sleeping with a six year old girl, would you still have invited him to church?”
          • When he said this the defendant buried his head under his arms and began to weep.
        • I said “Yes sir” I mean, it’s not like I let him be alone with children or anything… I don’t let anyone do that without a background check… but church… of course I would invite him to church.
          • He said “You mean to tell me, that knowing how awful this man is and the awful things this man has done, you would still want him to be a part of your church?!”
          • OBJECTION! The defense said…
          • Sustained… the Judge looked at me and said “you don’t have to answer that”
          • “I said I want to”
          • “go ahead” the judge replies.
          • “I looked right into that federal prosecutors eyes and said “Jesus knew how awful of a man I was, and the awful things I did… and yet He still died for me… He still forgave me. How can I, who received that kind of forgiveness, withhold forgiveness from others”.
          • The attorney had no further questions…
          • The end of that story, the man went back to prison that week. Then, that week, in prison, he got saved and baptized.
            • JESUS STILL SAVES. MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDMENT.
• I want YOU to have that kind of mercy in your life.
  • Mercy for your family.
  • Mercy for your coworkers.
  • Mercy for your enemies.
  • Mercy for those who do you wrong.
  • Mercy for those who have different political opinions.
  • I want YOUR mercy to triumph over your Judgment.
• And before we get to the gospel, let me just give you some clear practical advice on what you can do to be more merciful.
  • Humble yourself.
    • You are not nearly as important as Jesus, so whoever wronged you is nothing compared to how you have wronged Jesus through your sin.
  • Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
    • When someone wrongs you, change your perspective. The perspective the world uses when looking at others is “What is right and what is wrong… they did wrong they deserve justice”.
      • But when the world looks at themselves they say “I know I did wrong… but my intentions were good… I was just having a bad day… everyone makes mistakes… I am only human”.
    • But the Bible says over and over, and even right here in James Chapter 2 “Love your neighbor as yourself”.
      • Next time someone wrongs you, try judging them like you would judge yourself… with a healthy dose of mercy.
        • “Their intentions were probably good. Maybe they were just having a bad day. They are only human after all. They made a mistake… we all make mistakes.”
    • Be Slow To Anger
      • There is a time for anger… but don’t star there.
      • Start with some other emotions, like empathy.
        • “Man, that guy really hurt me… I bet he hurts a lot of people… I bet he struggles to find love and friendship… that must be a really hard life… Father, help him to learn the error of his ways and to reconcile with love ones…”
          • Yeah some people will just push and push and push, and eventually anger is justified… but don’t start there.
    • Keep no Record of Wrongs
      • The most unmerciful people I know have a list of everything everyone has ever done wrong to them.
        • This breeds bitterness, and resentment, and unforgiveness’.
      • But 1 Corinthians 13 says “Love keeps no record of wrongs…”
        • Consider every offense as if it was the first offense against you… you have forgiven the others… forgive this one too.
          • It doesn’t mean your trust is restored… that may take time… but it does mean your love is restored.
      • This is especially true for husbands and wives…
        • I do not want to hear all the things your spouse has ever done wrong to you. Today is a new day, start fresh… it’s much easier to love that way.
          • Stop making love difficult.
    • Forgive, forgive, forgive…

Matthew 18:21-22 ESV  Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”  (22)  Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

• But pastor, it’s not fair that I have to forgive…
  • Yeah, that’s how mercy works. Mercy, by definition, is not fair.
    • God gave us mercy, we deserved judgment… it’s not fair.
    • Start forgiving.
      • Ask God to help you forgive.
      • Ask your discipler to hold you accountable to forgiviness… talk to them about your struggles in forgiveness… don’t give up until you have forgiven everyone.
        • Then, once you have forgiven EVERYONE who has ever wronged you in your life… then it will be very easy to forgive people in the future.
      • I am not saying you need to RECONCILE… but you in your heart, between you and God… need to forgive…
      • Once you have forgiven everyone who has ever wronged you you will become a forgiving person.

Conclusion

• I will close with this one last story from our life…
  • A few years back Amanda got rear-ended by a young girl.
  • Amanda was stopped at an intersection and this girl smashed into her.
    • The girl gave Amanda her phone number… then had second thoughts and ran.
    • We were able to get the girls name, and we followed up with her.
      • She did not have a valid drivers license.
      • She did not have insurance.
      • But she promised if we did not call the cops she would pay us for our repairs.
        • She then lied, lied, and lied so more… going as far as to fake Walmart money transfer transactions.
        • She cussed us out.
        • She was constantly rude…
        • And she lied… did I say that already?
        • After months of back and forth I decided I was going to call the police…
          • But then God convicted me.
          • And I sent her a message. I actually found the facebook message…

Good morning. It’s Sunday, July 22nd. As you probably already know, we are Christians. We love the Lord Jesus with all our hearts. And though you feel we have been rude through this process, we have tried to hold ourselves with integrity and grace, even through this hard situation. That being said, we feel that the Lord has told us that we need to forgive you and this accident and allow the situation to be done with. We are not going to pursue payment any further. As far as we are concerned the debt is paid. You are loved, I hope and pray that you get plugged into a local church family (if you are not already) and experience the love and forgiveness of Christ for yourself (if you don’t know it already). He loves you more than you know.

• That forgiveness cost us pride…
  • She had attacked our character so many times.
• It cost us time…
  • We had spent hours tracking her down, trying to communicate with her… going back and fourth from Walmart trying to get the money she never sent.
• And it cost us money.
  • The lowest estimate for the repairs was 1,285 dollars.
• But what is my pride when I think about Jesus?
• How much time has Jesus given me? Eternity.
• What is money compared to the cost of Jesus on the Cross? It is nothing.
  • We forgave this young lady. Because we are Christians, we are forgiven, and we forgive.
  • Mercy triumphs over judgment.
• Gospel Call

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